


First Step Forward

by TheArtisticIntrovert



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: (please don't hurt me), AU, First Person Point of View, Nonbinary Frisk, bad neutral run, more characters and stuff will be added later, nonbinary chara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2018-12-15 02:56:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11796957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheArtisticIntrovert/pseuds/TheArtisticIntrovert
Summary: We all know how the story of Frisk went. They go up the mountain, they fall in, they save the Underground.But what if Frisk wasn't a peace-loving pacifist? What if they were more jaded and cynical, an apathetic teenager instead of a naive child?Let's explore.





	1. The Ruins (Part 1)

**Author's Note:**

> no the tags weren't lying, this is in first-person pov.
> 
> BEFORE YOU YELL AT ME!!!!
> 
> i dislike first person point of view as much as the next person. but!! see the thing is, this fic started as a self-insert vent fic i wrote then abandoned in 2014. i just recently came back to it, and it was actually pretty decent. with one changed word, it became less a self-insert and more an au. i didn't want to change the point of view, feeling like this idea actually worked better in first person, somehow.
> 
> i promise, only the first half of the first chapter is written in the angry, venty style i used to have. but the rest of it? the rest of it is new, guys gals and nonbinary pals.
> 
> i hope you don't hit the close button as soon as you see the word "I", because i actually am really proud of how this turned out.
> 
> (all art by me)

 

* * *

 

 

This is it. I was ready. I’ve heard stories about Mount Ebott, that lone peak by my house. About how there were monsters trapped under there, sealed away by mages before they could do any more evil deeds to the humans on the surface. I was pretty sure the whole “monsters are evil” schtick was utter bull, knowing how history was usually written by the victors. Still, it was interesting. I wanted to go there myself. I mean, it’s not as if anyone would _miss_ me too badly… My parents don’t really pay much attention to me, unless they’re shuttling me between houses or to therapy. My brother, well… He hates me. There’s really no love lost there. They’ll be fine, honestly.

 

I shook off the depressing thoughts and zipped up my backpack. I had packed some food, an extra sweater, and several pairs of socks, along with a first-aid kit. Hey, it never hurts to be prepared, right? I adjusted my bandages, tucked my small pocketknife into my pocket with my wallet, and shouldered my backpack. Time to go.

 

\--

 

I’d been walking for a few days now, after getting off the bus at a lookout point on the mountain. I had finally reached the summit, and was taking a short water break before investigating the cave next to me. It really was beautiful up here… I could see the sunset from where I was sitting. Or was it sunrise? My phone died yesterday, so I have no idea what time it is now. Or even what day it is. But that’s alright. Soon enough, it wouldn’t matter anyway. I stood up, shoving the empty water bottle into my backpack, before walking back to the cave. I peeked over the edge of the giant hole in the floor, knocking a stone in. I waited, but after thirty seconds I couldn’t hear it hit bottom. That’s….far. I took a breath to steady myself, hunting around for a vine or something to lower myself in there safely.

 

I found a sturdy-looking vine draped over the edge of the hole, and smiled at my success. I grabbed it, making a crude harness around my waist before lowering myself into the hole. I made it far enough the sky shrunk into a tiny circle of light before the harness snapped under my weight.. I scrabbled for vines to hold on to, but the wall was clear. Shit. I started falling, curling into a ball and bracing for impact.

 

\--

 

When I opened my eyes, (and boy, wasn’t _that_ surprising!) I was lying on a bed of golden flowers. I sat up slowly, hissing when my arm and left side protested. I checked myself, pleased to note that it was just nasty bruises. Nothing seemed strained or broken, which was good.

 

I looked around for my backpack, hoping nothing was broken. I opened it and snorted when I saw that my water bottles had protected literally everything from the fall. I guess it also helped that I landed on my side, but eh. I patted my pockets, making sure I still had my knife and my wallet. I let out a sigh of relief when I found them. I liked that knife, it was a “gift” from my brother. Well, I stole it from him. Potato potahto.

 

I stood up slowly, wobbling a bit. I put out my arms to steady myself, taking a few steps towards the little hall I could see across from me. Using the wall to support myself, I made my way to another large cavern, this one dark.

 

“Howdy!” called a small, cheerful voice. I jumped and looked around.

 

“W-Who said that?” I managed, not seeing anything but a flower in the room. I watch with a mix of horror and fascination as the flower grinned and giggled.

 

“I did, silly! I'm Flowey, Flowey the Flower!” it said, smiling up at me. I took a step back.

 

“I...I see…” I muttered, though it continued on as if it hadn't heard me.

 

“Hmm… You're new to the Underground, aren't ya! Golly, you must be so confused… Someone oughta show you how things work around here!” it said, grin growing wider. It looked… eager, weirdly. I don't trust it… “I guess little old me will have to do!” it finished, when everything went dark. My sweater started glowing, and I looked down. What I saw made my eyes widen in surprise.

 

Glowing on the left side of my chest was a dark red heart. It seemed attached to my sweater, though I don't remember ever having something like that before. “See that heart? That's your SOUL, the very culmination of your being!” Oh, so that's what it is. Weird… “Your SOUL starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV. What's LV, you ask? Why, LOVE, of course! You want some LOVE, don't you?” the flower continued.

 

I narrowed my eyes. LV… I'm not buying that LOVE bullshit. It sounds more like video game stats… what had I fallen into? “Down here, LOVE is shared through… Little white… ‘friendliness pellets’,” it said, white petal-shaped objects floating behind it. Okay… That sounds fake, but okay… “Move around! Get as many as you can!” it says cheerfully, sending the pellets towards me.

 

“Fuck that!” I yelped, ducking and dodging to the left. I don't trust this thing at all… I winced when my bruised shoulder hit the cold stone floor.

 

I glanced back at the flower, seeing its eyes had narrowed. “Hey buddy… You missed them. Let's try again, alright?” I shook my head, rolling out of the way of the next waves of pellets. Maybe the whole ‘monsters are evil’ thing was truer than I thought… Good to know.

 

“Hey! What gives?! Are you braindead or something? RUN. INTO. THE. BULLETS! Uh… Friendliness pellets!” yelled the flower, but it made a mistake. It quickly sent out another wave of bullets, that I easily jumped over.

 

“You fucked up! I _knew_ these weren't friendly!” I snapped, advancing on him and curling my hand around my knife. His face though, gave me pause. It had turned demonic, a large, gaping hole where his once friendly smile used to be.

 

"͘Y̨ou҉ ̡jųst w͢an͘t̡e̡d to̵ ̕s͠ee m̴e͢ su͞f͞f͏e̷r.̡.."͘ it chuckled. I frowned and took a step forward.

 

“You stupid flower, you don't scare me!” I snarled, yanking the knife out of my pocket. It narrowed its eyes and growled.

 

"̸̡͝D̸͟I͢͝E҉̢!͏"̸̴͟ it screeched, surrounding me with a few rings of petals. Oh dear… I might've made something akin to a mistake. It started laughing, the ring shrinking steadily. I put up my arms to try and protect myself, squeezing my eyes shut. And suddenly, everything just… stopped. I cracked open an eye, just in time to see a ball of pure white fire collide with the flower. That was…unexpected.

 

“What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth…” murmured a gentle voice. I looked up further, and scrambled backwards when I saw the speaker.

 

She was a tall goat-lady, with white fur, little horns, and a purple dress. I stood up shakily, gulping when I noticed she was at _least_ two feet taller than me. (Which is saying something, 6 feet is nothing to sneeze at.) “Ah, do not be afraid, my child! I'm not going to hurt you! My name is Toriel, I’m the guardian and caretaker of these Ruins,” she said, voice sharp with alarm before settling again. “Come, child. I will show you the way through the catacombs.”

 

I followed her out of the room, practically having to run to keep up with her long strides. She was still talking as she walked, leading me to a room with a closed door, piles of red leaves, and six switches on the right side of the room. “What’s all this?” I asked. A bit rudely yeah, but come _on,_ give me a break! I was just attacked by a fucking _demonic buttercup,_ I think I’m allowed to be a bit prickly!

 

She smiled at me (still not used to that) and walked over to the six floor switches. “The Ruins are full of traps and puzzles, though they are quite easy once you get the hang of them. This is an example of a typical puzzle you will see further inside. I will demonstrate for you, then you may try the next puzzle yourself.” She stepped on each of the switches, avoiding the ones in the middle, depressing them all into the ground with a series of quiet clicks. On the last switch, she stopped and turned around, just as the door rumbled open. I was staring, wide-eyed, at the opening where a huge hunk of stone had been.

 

“Woah.....” I breathed, excitement already rising. I _love_ puzzles, I used to do them all the time with my parents before the divorce. She chuckled at my enthusiasm, waving me through the door. Ahead, there was a wide path, a sign (with print so tiny I couldn’t read it, even _with_ my contacts; should probably take those out, now that I’m thinking about it), and even more leaves. I had thought we were underground, why the fuck were there so many leaves?!

 

Before I knew it, Toriel was speaking again. “I will be waiting at the end of this section of the room. There is a walkway, but it is not currently _bridging_ the gap.” She waited, an expectant smile on her face. Internally, I was groaning at the huge stretch she had to do for the pun. Outside, I managed a smile and a weak chuckle before my face fell back into its default resting expression. “Please follow me, and you can try the puzzle.” Toriel walked off then, and I set off to follow.

 

But first, that sign.

 

I walked over to it, the words finally coming into focus. It said...... _“Press X to read signs!”_ What? Again with the video game things? What the hell???? I shook my head, spying another, smaller sign on the far wall, off the path. I walked over to this one, snorting in amusement when I saw what it said. _“Please stay on the path!!!”_

 

“You gotta _leave_ the path to read this, but okay....” I muttered, shaking my head again and heading off after Toriel. She was waiting by a wide waterway, head tilted curiously. I was about to ask where the puzzle was, when I realized it was _here,_ I just had to find it. Back to the walls, then.

 

I turned, and immediately saw a switch. A big gold one, tarnished with age, and scribbled around with yellow chalk. Assuming this was the switch I had to pull, I pulled it, and sure enough, a small wooden bridge shot out over the water. “Very good, my child! Now, there is one more puzzle in this room. I wonder if you can solve this one too?” Toriel said cheerfully, before crossing the bridge. I followed after, checking the wall again. Sure enough, another golden switch was there, with the same chalk markings around it. I was getting a bit frustrated, but assumed that before me had mostly been children, who had needed the instruction. It was a bit bruising to my pride, but hey, it’s not like I was eighteen or anything.

 

I pulled the switch, this time getting rid of two large spike traps blocking the doorway. The spikes were about as high as my waist, and pretty well spaced apart, so I didn’t understand why I couldn’t just weave my way through them. Then I remembered Toriel wanted to test my puzzle skills for some reason, so I shrugged it off. “Great work, my child!” Toriel praised, beaming at me. She then led me into the next room, a small one with only a beat up training dummy in it. I frowned, readjusting my backpack on my shoulders. Was she about to teach me how to fight? “As a human living in the Underground, monsters may attack you. You will need to be prepared for this situation. However, worry not! The process is simple. When you encounter a monster, you will enter a fight.” Yeah, no shit. “While you are in a fight, strike up a friendly conversation! Stall for time. I will come to resolve the conflict.”

 

What. I stared at her, unblinking incredulity written plain as day on my face. She didn’t look the least bit concerned, like what she’d said was completely normal. Yeah, no. I knew from experience that talking didn’t do anything but make the beatdown harsher. I’d talk while she was watching me, but if we ever got separated, all bets are off. Now that I know the monsters are willing to hurt me, maybe even kill me, I gotta be prepared to survive. I didn’t jump down that hole hoping to _die,_ after all.

 

Toriel was still talking. “Practice talking to the dummy.” She then moved to the door/arch thing on the other wall, watching me watch the dummy. Feeling stupid, I walked up to it.

 

I stared at the dummy. The dummy stared back. I felt the tugging on my chest again, looking down to see the same heart that had appeared when I’d fought the flower. The dummy continued to stare at me, even though it was literally made of cloth and had buttons for eyes. Awkwardly, I waved at the dummy. “........Hi?” I said, hesitantly, afraid someone would pop up and start laughing at me for talking to a _dummy._

 

The dummy didn’t reply. Of course it didn’t, it’s not alive. Dummies can’t talk. I frowned, stepping back from the dummy. Toriel seemed happy, though. That gave me a warm feeling in my chest, totally unrelated to the fact the cartoony heart had once again vanished into the ether. “Ah, very good! You are very good.” My breath caught in my throat, but I managed to successfully disguise it as a small cough. Before, it had all been vague praise. Being called very good, directly to my face.......it was nice.

 

Toriel left again, and I followed once more, slower this time, still dazed. “There is another puzzle in this room......I wonder if you can solve it?” she mused. Hell yes. Bring on the puzzles. I’ll make you proud, Toriel.

 

Of course, I didn’t say any of this out loud.

 

Instead, I followed Toriel through yet another doorway, before suddenly, a white, frog-like creature jumped out in front of me. I yelped, stumbling back and wincing when my still-bruised shoulder hit the wall. The frog thing was _huge,_ the tops of its bulbous eyes reaching my shoulders. Out of more desperation than anything, I swung a fist at it. It hit the frog right in the eye, causing it to yelp and gear up to jump at me. I braced for impact, but Toriel seemed to have realized what was going on.

 

She glared at the frog, and it hopped away, bits of white dust flaking away from its body where I’d hit it. She didn’t say anything to me, so I assumed she hadn’t seen the confrontation. I picked myself up off the floor, dusted off the backs of my jeans, and continued following Toriel all the way to another bridge, this one leading to a massive platform covered in spikes. They only reached up to the middle of Toriel’s shins, but as I said before, they were _massive_ to me. These ones were closer together, too, so I had no hope of squeezing past them.

 

I tried to approach the spike platform, since Toriel had said this was a puzzle, but she stopped me with one giant hand (paw?) held out to the side. “Toriel? What’s up?” I asked, tilting my head and looking up at her.

 

“This is the puzzle, but......” she started, trailing off hesitantly. Then, she seemed to decide something. “Here, take my hand for a moment.” I looked at the hand she offered, deadpan. This thing was as big as my head, how was I supposed to take it?! I mentally shrugged, and grasped one of her fingers in my hand. She closed her hand over mine, and started towards the spikes. Together, we walked over the spikes, taking a wandering path. The spikes she stepped on depressed harmlessly under her feet, as if they were made of rubber. “Puzzles seem a little too dangerous for now,” she said finally, chuckling softly before continuing on into the next room.

 

I frowned slightly, but agreed a bit. Unfortunately, I don’t quite remember the path for the spikes, so I guess I’m stuck here now.... I shook my head and followed Toriel into the next room, a long corridor with pillars lining the sides. “You have done excellently thus far, my child.” Woah wait, hold on. What’s she talking about? Is she gonna leave? “However, I have a difficult request to ask of you.” Can’t be harder than some of the things I’ve done already, lay it on me. “...........I would like you to walk to the end of the room by yourself. Forgive me for this.” And with that, she sped away.

 

So, she just wanted me to walk to the end of the room on my own? That’s not hard at all! Well....I guess it would be hard, if she thought I was like eight. I shrugged, and started walking. I tried to make a game out of it, staying on the light purple part of the floor, but that quickly got boring. The room is a lot bigger than I thought it was......

 

It felt like I’d been walking for ages when I finally reached the end of the room. I looked around for Toriel, but couldn’t find her. I was just about to go through the door and look when she walked out from behind one of the giant pillars. “Greetings, my child! Do not worry, I did not leave you. I was merely behind this pillar the whole time! Thank you for trusting me.” Now I feel bad, because I _didn’t_ trust her to still be there. “However, there was an important reason for this exercise.” Oh no. “......to test your independance.” _Oh no._ “I must attend to some business, and you must stay alone for a while. Please remain here. It’s dangerous to explore by yourself.” My mind flashed back to the frog, and I agreed. There were probably more of those things out there somewhere. “I have an idea. I will give you a cell phone!”

 

I was about to say I already had one, but then I remembered it was dead. A new one wouldn’t hurt. “If you have a need for anything, please call. Be good, alright?” I nodded, taking the phone. She smiled at me, ruffled my hair, and left. I sat down against the pillar, finally relaxing after so long of walking. It felt like I hadn’t sat for _ages,_ and I probably haven't. I sighed, looking at the phone. It was really old looking, a Blackberry I think. Didn’t have much other than a phone app, Tetris, and a camera. I rolled my eyes, but stuffed it in the pocket of my hoodie anyway.

 

I leaned my head back against the pillar and closed my eyes, hoping to catch a few minutes of sleep. Unfortunately, the ground was too hard and my brain was too wired to actually drift off. I sighed, and decided to keep walking. I’d rested my feet, and Toriel had to live _somewhere,_ right? Maybe I could meet her there.

 

I heaved myself up off the floor, and started through the door to the rest of the Ruins.

 


	2. The Ruins (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gonna be doing an art thing for every chapter

 

* * *

 

I barely got into the next room when my phone rang, scaring the shit out of me. I quickly answered it, forcing my voice to sound bland and uninterested to hide the fact I nearly jumped two feet in the air. “Hello?”

 

_“Hello! This is Toriel!”_ Her voice came through tinny and distorted through the speakers, and I could only wonder how she managed to get a phone big enough that her hands wouldn’t crush it every time she tried to make a call. _“You have not left the room, have you?”_

 

Shit. “Uh, no! Of course not!” I said, sweating nervously. I ran my hand through my hair on instinct, making a face when I pulled a stick and several leaves out of the curly rats nest.

 

_“Oh, good! There are a few puzzles ahead that I have yet to explain.”_ I frowned, rolling my eyes. So far, all the puzzles have been fucking easy. I think I could handle them. But of course, I didn’t say any of this out loud. _“It would be dangerous to try and solve them yourself.”_ Yeah yeah yeah, whatever. _“Be good, alright?”_

 

Guilt settled in my stomach as I stared at the far wall, but I refused to let it get me down. Instead, I nodded distractedly, forgetting she couldn’t see me. She hung up the phone, and I stood there in silence for a minute before finally lowering it from my ear. “.........Fuck.” I shoved the phone into my pocket, pushing up the sleeves of my hoodie and shaking out the rest of the sticks and leaves from my hair. I pulled it into a messy ponytail, face set in determination. Maybe I wasn’t the best kid, but I’d damn well try.

 

I turned to my left, and nearly forgot my promise when I saw another of the mutant frog things sitting in front of yet another doorway. It croaked at me, giving my shaking, rusty knife an unimpressed look, before croaking again. This time, it sounded like words. Except, the words sounded like they were being echoed, and not at all coming from the direction of the frog. And I didn’t think the frog would sound like a twelve-year-old.....

 

I shook my head, focusing back on what the frog-voice was saying. “Excuse me, human. I have some advice for you about battling monsters.” I rolled my eyes, putting the knife away and crossing my arms. This should be good..... “If you act a certain way or fight until you almost defeat them......They might not want to battle you anymore. If a monster does not want to fight you, please.....Use some mercy, human.” I frowned, biting my lip roughly.

 

I didn’t want to kill anything. Not if it had thoughts and feelings beyond “kill the random human child”. However, that didn’t mean I’d let myself get hurt or die just to save some monsters. As much as I hated to admit it, I wasn’t that good of a person. Instead, I nodded to the frog, as noncommittal of an answer as I could have possibly gave, and instead turned to the doorway it was sitting in front of. I could see a bowl on a pedestal there, and it gave me some hope for something other than trail mix and lukewarm water, which was what I’d been surviving off of during my trek.

 

Turns out, it was a bowl of brightly colored, individually wrapped candies. There was a sign on the pedestal, reading “Take one!” I took one, but just as I was about to leave, I glanced back at the bowl. It was so full, and I didn’t have much trail mix left. I ended up taking another piece, and shoving both into my pocket. I felt disgusting. I grit my teeth, taking another piece of candy. There’s no way I’d eat only trail mix. I felt like the scum of the earth.....

 

I was tempted to take more, but resisted and got the fuck out of there. I already felt bad enough. Instead, I investigated one of the leaf piles on the side of the room. I crunched a few under my hand, and smiled. It reminded me of when I was a kid, and my brother and I would jump in leaf piles in our grandparents’ backyard. A warm feeling settled in my chest, and I heard the same voice from earlier whispering again. _“Playfully crinkling through the leaves fills you with DETERMINATION.”_

 

Was I going crazy? Hearing voices definitely wasn’t normal. But then again, this was the Underground. Surely ghosts were a thing here? Maybe it was just the stress. Either way, I didn’t get much time to think, because just as I stood up a monster jumped out of the leaf pile at me.

 

It was another frog thing, staring at me warily. I backed up a couple steps, considering my options. I could fight it, or I could talk to it. I decided to try talking to it. “N-Nice froggy......please don’t attack me.....” I said, grinning weakly. The frog hesitated, seeming to consider my words.

 

And then sent a swarm of small white flies at me, heading directly for my SOUL. I yelped, dodging around the fly swarm and glaring at the frog. It just croaked at me, a disinterested look in its beady eyes. I scowled, clenching my fists. “Get outta here, fucker.” It looked at me, miffed, before hopping away. I relaxed as my SOUL melted back into my sweater, unclenching my fists and rubbing my palm where my nails had dug deep, crescent-shaped furrows into the skin. I noticed something shiny on the ground, bending over to pick it up. They looked like small gold coins, about the size of a nickel each, with an odd, Triforce-esque symbol stamped on one side.

 

I figured this must be money, so I shrugged and pulled my wallet out of my back pocket, dropping the coins into the (somehow larger now) zippered coin pouch on the back. I stuck it back in my pocket, heading for the door at the end of the room before anything else could come after me.

 

I ended up in a short hallway with two vent-looking things on the walls and a patch of cracked stone in front of me. I frowned, testing one of the cracked pieces with my foot. The entire thing gave way under even the slightest pressure, taking me down with it.

 

I landed with a startled yelp in a huge leaf pile in some kind of basement level. I frowned and winced, picking myself up. The leaves cushioned my fall, sure, but I still had those bruises from earlier. I cracked my knuckles and stretched out my shoulder, grimacing slightly, and headed through the door on the other side of the leaf pile. It definitely had nothing to do whatsoever with the fact that I wanted to pretend I was playing in the leaves again. Not at all.

 

_*You tried to hide it, but really, you had fun in the leaves._

 

I whirled around, staring over my shoulder just as the voice from earlier spoke again. “Who’s there?!” I snapped. No answer. I frowned at the empty air, but shrugged and continued on. I couldn’t force a ghost to become visible. Couldn’t force an auditory hallucination to become visible, either. Either way, it’d be a losing battle.

 

I crawled up a gently sloping tube until I got to a ladder, climbing that and tumbling out of the right hand vent, in the same room I was in before I fell. I blinked, befuddled. “Did.......Did that actually happen?” I wondered. The voice giggled again, but I ignored it this time, instead picking myself up and retightening my ponytail, wincing as more blood stained my already nasty bandages. Gross.......

 

_*Monster food can heal, you know. Try eating that candy you took._

 

I frowned, but shrugged. Toriel was nice enough, and if it was _her_ candy, I trusted it not to poison me. I did as the voice said, unwrapping one of the candies and popping it in my mouth. Hm. Looks like black licorice, tastes like blueberries. Nice.

 

I felt a tingling on my arms, and unwrapped one of the bandages to look to see what was going on. To my surprise, the cuts were healing, right before my eyes. Not completely, no, but they looked months old instead of days. My shoulder didn’t hurt much anymore either. I smiled slightly, tucking the trash into my pocket. “Nice.....”

 

I continued forward, finding more spikes and a floor switch, this one with a rock in front of it. I took a step forward, but the phone rang again. “Hello?”

 

_“Hello? This is Toriel. For no reason in particular.....which do you prefer? Cinnamon, or butterscotch?”_ she asked. Hard choice. I like both, but after a while butterscotch is.....too much.

 

“Cinnamon,” I decided.

 

_“Oh, I see! Thank you very much.”_ Toriel hung up again. She’s worse than my grandma.....I sighed, shook my head, and headed over to the rock. I barely took two steps before the phone rang again. Definitely worse than Grandma. _“Hello? This is Toriel. You do not DISLIKE butterscotch, do you? I know what your preference is, but.....would you turn up your nose if you found it on your plate?”_

 

“I don’t dislike it. I like them both, but I’ll eat more cinnamon than I do butterscotch,” I confirmed.

 

_“Right, right, I understand. Thank you for being patient, by the way.”_ There’s that guilt again. I shoved it down, ignoring it and heading for the rock again. I pushed it experimentally, surprised to find it moved as easily as a styrofoam rock would. I frowned, pushing it over to the button. It clicked, so the rock obviously had weight to it, but......I could easily push it.

 

I decided not to worry my head over the fact that the Underground apparently ignored the laws of physics, and continued to the next room. A weird, ghostly butterfly thing popped up in front of me, scaring the shit out of me. I flailed at it, hitting it square in the middle of its body. To my horror, it burst into dust, right in front of me.

 

_*You earned 2 XP._

 

I sat down hard, foot clinking against more of those weird coins, but I didn’t think about that right then. I’d just _killed_ something. The butterfly wasn’t even _doing_ anything, I killed it because it _scared_ me! What kind of asshole was I?! It didn’t even attack!

 

I swallowed the tears, wiping my hand on the wad of bandages I’d shoved in my pocket, and picked up the dusty coins. My hands shook, but I tucked them away in my wallet anyway. Money rules the world, after all. Even blood money.

 

The phone rang again. Toriel called me more times in this room alone than my actual parents did in a week. This is getting ridiculous. I answered the phone again, but didn’t speak, not trusting my voice not to wobble yet. Did she know? Did she know I just killed something?

 

_“Hello? You do not have any allergies, do you?”_ Toriel asked. I swallowed the lump in my throat, forcing my voice back into the deadpan, emotionless one I normally use.

 

“I’m lactose intolerant, but it won’t kill me if I have milk. I’ll just have a mild stomachache,” I said. “Why d’you ask?”

 

_“Huh? Why am I asking?”_ She sounded guilty. _“No reason.....No reason at all.”_ She hung up again. Wow. She’s definitely hiding something. But then again, so am I. I don’t get to be a hypocrite over this.

 

Another weird cracked floor room. I bit my lip, glaring at the tiles. Maybe if I just stick to the wall......

 

“SHIT!”

 

Nope. I rounded the corner and immediately fell through the floor. I hissed in pain, standing and rubbing my bruised tailbone gingerly. I noticed a sign on one of the walls, wandering over to read it. _“Please don’t step on the leaves.”_

 

What leaves?

 

I looked around the room, eyes widening when I realized what I had to do.

 

\--

 

A few fuckups later, I was in another room, this time with three styrofoam rocks. I rolled my eyes at the easy puzzles, heading to the first rock to push it. Another frog and another butterfly popped up just as I turned around, and this time I kept my arms tucked in so I didn’t hit the butterfly on accident. “Excuse me butterfly, would you mind going away? Sorry, but I don’t wanna hurt you on accident.” The butterfly squeaked and vanished, flying away so fast it looked like it disappeared.

 

The frog, just as I suspected, spat a swarm of biting flies at me. I dodged them, snarling at it and yanking my knife out of my pocket, flipping it open. “Now, _you_ I know are gonna hurt me if I leave you alone.....” I growled, swinging at it. I hit it right across the face, but instead of blood, like I’d expected, more of that chalky white dust caked off.

 

It croaked angrily at me, a hateful glare in its bulbous eyes. It spat more flies at me, and I tried to dodge, but one of them clipped the upper edge of my SOUL. I yelped, hand flying up to cover it. I glared at the frog, baring my teeth. I swiped at it again, making an X over its face. It yelped, more flies swarming me. This time I dodged all of them. I noticed the frog trying to run away and snarled at it.

 

“Oh no, not today bitch! You don’t get to attack me out of nowhere then hop away like nothing happened! Fuck on outta here with that bullshit!” I snapped, swiping the knife at it one last time. The rust from the blade mixed oddly with the dust on its face, I noticed. The knife blade came down as if in slow motion, and I saw the terror in its eyes. It was too late though.

 

The knife connected. The frog burst into dust.

 

_*You earned 3 XP._

 

And I was alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter incoming as soon as i have the time to play again, which would be hopefully soon


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the art should be fixed now, in chapters 1 and 2.

 

* * *

 

I panted harshly, knees trembling. More dust settled on my sweater, and my knuckles were starting to cramp from the force I gripped my knife with. Strangely, I didn’t feel bad about killing the frog, not as bad as I did the butterfly. It was trying to hurt me, right?

 

I just stopped it.

 

I shook my head, putting my knife away and walking down to the second rock. This one slid just as easily as the first, slotting into place neatly. I wiped my hands on my jeans, heading for the third rock. This one, though, spoke as soon as I touched it.

 

“WOAH there, pardner! Who said you could push me around?” I stared at it, wide-eyed. I didn’t see a mouth, or anything it could be speaking from.

 

“U-Um.....sorry? I wasn’t tryin’ to push you around, I didn’t know you could....um....feel it.....” I said lamely, stuffing my hands in my hoodie pockets. “Could you, maybe, move over a bit?”

 

“Oh, so you’re ASKIN’ me to move over. Alright, just for you, pumpkin.” I grimaced slightly, but didn’t comment. The rock scooted slightly forward, but not nearly enough to reach the switch.

 

“Um, excuse me.....that wasn’t quite far enough,” I said.

 

“Hm? You want me to move some more? Alrighty, how’s this?” It moved up. I scowled, tiring of the games. I pinched the bridge of my nose, lips twisted.

 

“That was the wrong way,” I ground out.

 

“Oh! Sorry, I think I got it now.” Finally,  _ finally,  _ the rock moved onto the switch.

 

_ “Thank  _ you.” I headed towards the spikes, only for them to shoot up again just as I was about to cross. I yelped, leaping back and turning to glare at the rock. “Hey! You were supposed to  _ stay  _ there!” I snapped. 

 

“You’re giving me a real workout, kid....” the rock grumbled, but moved back to the switch anyway. This time, it stayed. I quickly ran across the bridge before it moved again, waving distractedly before going to the next room.

 

This one had a table with a piece of cheese on it, a mousehole, and another doorway. I walked over to the table, trying to pry the cheese off. It must’ve been there for a while, it’s totally stuck....

 

I sighed and shook my head, giving up on the cheese for now. Instead, I go look at the mouse hole. I can’t see anything, but I did hear quiet squeaking. I figured the mouse must be trying to find a way to get the cheese. The warm feeling from earlier was back.

 

_ *Knowing the mouse will one day leave its hole and get the cheese.......it fills you with DETERMINATION. _

 

I nodded once, firmly, before continuing to the next room. There was what looked like a bedsheet ghost lying on the ground, staring at the ceiling. “Um......hello?”

 

“Zzzzzzzz........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.........are they gone yet........zzzzzzzzzzz.....” The ghost kept saying the letter ‘z’ out loud, repeatedly, as if pretending to sleep. I frowned, crossing my arms.

 

“Hey, get up! I need to get by here, please!” They sighed heavily and floated up, eyes drooping slightly. They looked....really sad. I frowned, unwilling to fight them. Instead, I tried to cheer them up. I smiled at them slightly, nearly panicking when their eyes welled up with tears. They chuckled a bit though, so I think they were happy?

 

I sidestepped the tears absently, trying to cheer them up again. “Hey, why’d the ghost get in the elevator?” I asked. They tilted their head slightly, and I grinned despite myself. “To lift their spirits!” Their eyes widened, and they laughed again, sounding bewildered. They must not have many people to tell them jokes........I can relate.

 

I fully expected more tears, but instead I got a floating, ethereal message.

 

**_REALLY NOT FEELING UP TO IT RIGHT NOW, SORRY...._ **

 

Relatable, dude. Relatable. I was about to tell another joke, but they stopped me.

 

“Let me try......” They started crying again, but this time the tears flowed up. “I call it dapper blook......do you like it.....?” They had a little top hat on!!!! Holy shit!!

 

“Yes!!! That’s adorable, I love it!” I cheered, grinning and giving them a big thumbs up. Their cheeks got shiny....were they blushing?

 

“Oh gee.....” They floated back slightly, and the atmosphere got way less oppressive. “I usually come to the Ruins because there’s nobody around....but today I met somebody nice......oh, I’m rambling again.....I’ll get out of your way.” They vanished.

 

They thought I was.....nice? My face feels warm.....Am....Am  _ I  _ blushing?!

 

I took a second to collect myself before heading up through the next door. There was a line of frogs, but I avoided the heck outta them, not wanting to risk the flies again. The phone rang just as I got to the next doorway.  _ “Hello? I just realized that it has been a while since I have cleaned up. I was not expecting to have company so soon. There are probably a lot of things lying about here and there. You can pick them up, but do not carry more than you need. Someday, you might see something you really like. You will want to leave room in your pockets for that!” _

 

With that life lesson handled, Toriel hung up. I frowned at the phone, putting it back in my pocket. “Don’t worry about it, I have my backpack. I’ll be okay....” I muttered to nobody. I shook my head, heading to the next room.

 

I groaned loudly when I realized it was another cracked floor puzzle. I scowled, glaring at the floor. I didn’t see any monsters, just six cracked floor tiles, equally spaced, and another row of spikes. I sighed, heading for the first top tile.

 

Sure enough, it crumbled to nothing as soon as I stepped on it. I landed in a tiny room with a door, a pile of leaves (that broke my fall, thank god), and a weird bush thing. I frowned at it, not wanting to know what the hell that was. I avoided the bush, heading out the door instead.

 

I tumbled out of a large vent again, this time heading for the first bottom hole. I landed in a room with a dusty ribbon on the floor, and another leaf pile. I hauled myself out of the leaves, dusting myself off and wincing slightly. “This is gonna be long and painful....” I muttered, scooping up the ribbon.

 

_ *”Faded Ribbon” - Armor DEF 3. If you’re cuter, monsters won’t hit you as hard. _

 

I bit my lip, shuddering at the pain in the voice that had been following me around. Can’t hurt, right? I tied the ribbon in a bow around the base of my ponytail, frowning slightly.

 

_ [ “C’mon, why won’t you smile?! You’re really creepy, you know? Just staring like that.....If you were cuter, maybe people would like you more!” ] _

 

I shook off the memories, heading for the door again. I didn’t have time to reminisce about things that don’t matter anymore. On the way, a weird, Mike Wazowski-looking thing popped up in front of me. I frowned at it, taking a step back. “The fuck are you supposed to be?” I asked.

 

Its eye narrowed in a glare, teeth gnashing furiously. “You rude little snipe!” it screamed, floating white discs firing at my ruthlessly. I just barely managed to avoid them, drawing my knife.

 

“Okay, I guess I kinda deserved that one! But still! You didn’t have to try and kill me, asshole!” I snarled. Its glare intensified, and the discs came back, faster this time. One of them clipped my SOUL, sending a shooting pain into my chest. I yelped, cradling it gently and glaring at the eyeball. I growled quietly, swiping at it with my knife. A giant gash appeared over its eye, dust flaking off in large chunks.

 

I hunched over, protecting my SOUL with both hands. None of the discs hit me this time, and I sighed quietly, massaging the ache in my chest. I slashed at the eyeball again, causing another deep gash to appear. It shot more discs at me, and I hid my SOUL from them again.

 

I slashed one more time, causing the eye to look more like crumbled chalk than anything. I didn’t manage to hide my SOUL in time, getting clipped by the discs. Another small bruise appeared on my arm, in the shape of a circle. I glared at the monster, swiping at it one more time. It crumbled to a small dust pile, finally vanishing. I scooped up the coins, wincing when I tugged at the bruise I assumed was on my chest.

 

_ *You earned 17 XP. Your LOVE increased! _

 

My eyes were dry. I sighed shakily, frowning and wiping the dust off of my hands on my jeans. Even though this was the first time I’d encountered one of these monsters, it was a lot easier for me to shove down the guilt this time. I didn’t want to think of what that meant.

 

I popped another candy, sighing heavily as my aches vanished. I pocketed the knife, glared at the pile of dust, and headed back up to the surface. I checked the next floor tile, finding a large, golden lever in this room. I pulled it, and heard a loud clicking noise. Assuming correctly that the spikes were gone now, I headed into the next room in this shitty labyrinth of puzzle rooms.

 

There were several columns in this room, as well as a large sign and several colored switches. I checked the sign.  _ “The far door is not an exit. It simply marks a rotation in perspective.”  _ Great. More cryptic riddle bullshit. I scowled, heading for the far door. Sure enough, it was the same room, with the pillars in different places.

 

I found another sign, reading it.  _ “If you can read this, press the blue switch.”  _ I looked around, seeing only a yellow and red switch. I headed back up to the top pillar, encountering another one of those shitty eyeball monsters. This time, I didn’t waste time, instead just slashing at it immediately.

 

The gash was deeper this time, and it yelped in pain. I glared, but paused when it spoke. “Please don’t pick on me....” I had to swallow the lump in my throat, gripping my knife tighter. I can’t let this thing go. It fired some discs at me, but they were smaller and easier to dodge. I sighed heavily, putting the knife away. “Hey, I’m sorry.......I thought you were gonna hurt me,” I apologized. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

 

Its eye lightened slightly. “Finally, someone gets it.” The discs barely came near me. I sighed, tucking some loose hair behind my ear.

 

“Go on, get outta here.” It bobbed slightly, running off and leaving some more coins behind. I picked them up, adding them to the others in my wallet. The voice didn’t say anything about XP this time, something I was very confused about. “What, no comment?” I asked.

 

No answer. I sighed, shrugged it off, and headed for the blue switch. I pushed it down, hearing the now-familiar clicking that signified the door was open. I walked through it, groaning loudly when I realized there was yet  _ another  _ room of switches. I checked the sign, rolling my eyes. “Of  _ course  _ it’s a different switch....” I muttered. I could see the blue switch right next to me and the yellow switch across the room. The red one had to be at the top of the room. I pressed it, seeing the spikes vanish. Just as I was about to head through it,  _ another  _ fucking eyeball popped up. I was getting seriously annoyed with all these eyeballs.

 

“Yo guy, get outta here, alright? I don’t wanna hurt you, but I will if you don’t leave,” I warned. Apparently, it took that as an insult.

 

“You rude little snipe!” it screeched, glaring at me. I rolled my eyes, preparing to dodge.

 

“God, get some better retorts!” I snapped, diving to the left. One of the disc trails hit me, leaving a scorch mark on my hoodie sleeve and a small burn on my arm. I winced, but stood up again, swiping at it with my knife. It yelped, snarling at me.

 

“What an eyesore,” it commented, deadpan and eye crinkling at me.

 

“Hey, fuck you! The voice in my head said this ribbon was cute!” I said, flipping it off. I swiped at it again, hitting it dead in the middle of its eye.

 

“Don’t point that at me,” it said, staring at my knife. I rolled my eyes, but didn’t comment. Once again, I dodged the discs. One more time. I swiped at it again, this time expecting the dust explosion. I scooped up the gold pieces, wiping the dust off and putting them in my wallet.

 

_ *You earned 12 XP. Your LOVE increased. _

 

There’s the voice again. Does it only comment about XP when I kill something? I shook my head, sighing. I didn’t feel as bad about killing it, honestly. It was trying to hurt me. It deserved it.

 

I sighed, centered myself, and headed through the next door.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about that, guys. the reason these take so long is that i'm in my senior year of highschool, so my time to write is minimal. plus, i can't play undertale at school, so i have to wait until i have all my homework done, and i'm also trying to make an art piece for every chapter.


	4. Ruins (Part 4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise, bitch. bet ya thought you'd seen the last of me
> 
> WARNINGS: Misgendering (at the very end)

* * *

 

 

Another fucking continuation to this puzzle. I growled quietly, crossing my arms and kicking at a tiny rock on the ground. “This better be the last one,” I muttered, heading across the room to another sign.  _ “If you can read this, press the green switch.”  _ I looked around me, spotting the green switch behind a pillar to my right. I pushed it, hearing the click. I headed for the door, thankfully not running into any more monsters. I noticed a huge hallway to the left, but there was another door straight ahead. I headed through that one first, finding another door. There was a small plastic dagger lying on the ground, and I picked it up carefully.

  
_ *”Toy Knife” - Weapon ATK 3. Made of plastic. A rarity nowadays. _

 

I bit my lip, glancing between it and my old, rusty pocketknife. The monsters didn’t seem to be made of flesh, so it didn’t really matter if I used a toy knife or a real one, right? Besides, on the off chance I was wrong, the toy knife wouldn’t hurt them as bad.

 

Decision made, I left the rusty knife behind and stuffed the new, plastic knife into one of my belt loops. I hiked my backpack up on my shoulders, heading for the big hallway.

 

\--

 

I walked through another door, greeted with a huge, leafless tree and a pile of the same dead leaves. Toriel was there too, her back turned to me. “Oh dear, that took longer than I thought it would....” she muttered. She was about to call me, when she turned around and saw me standing there. “How did you get here, my child?! Are you hurt? There there, I will heal you.” She smoothed her hands over my arms, the bruises and burns from earlier vanishing like they’d never happened. The scorch mark on my sleeve was still there, but I ignored it. It was tiny, anyway. “I should not have left you alone for so long....It was irresponsible to try and surprise you like this,” she said softly, sounding guilty.

 

“Hey, Toriel, it’s ok! Really! I should’ve stayed put, honestly. Besides, I’m not a little kid! I’m sixteen, nearly an adult!” I protested, waving my hands. She didn’t need to feel bad! Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, but she didn’t comment on my age. Instead, she smiled at me.

 

“I suppose you’re right. Besides, I seem unable to hide it any longer. Come, small one!” she said. This time I think she meant the name teasingly, but I blushed in irritation anyway. I’m not small!

 

I followed her inside, almost immediately hit with the smell of baking cinnamon. “Do you smell that? Surprise! It is a butterscotch-cinnamon pie.” So  _ that’s  _ why she called asking earlier! “I thought we might celebrate your arrival. I want you to have a nice time living here.” Living here? As in......forever? That sounded nice, but......I think I’d get bored in the Ruins for the rest of my life. “So I will hold off on the snail pie for tonight.” The revulsion must have showed on my face, for she giggled at me and patted my head gently. “Here, I have another surprise for you.”

 

She took my hand, leading me into a little hallway off the entrance. We stopped in front of a door, a creme-colored wooden one, and she turned to me. “This is it. A room of your own. I hope you like it!” she said, smiling down at me. She patted my head again, blunt claws combing the knots and tangles out of my hair. Then, she stopped. “......Is something burning? Um, make yourself at home!” she yelped, before rushing off. Apparently, the pie was burning.

 

I watched her go, shaking my head and smiling slightly. She’s just as much of a dork as....nevermind. I sighed, looking down the hallway. There seemed to be a mirror on the far wall. I walked over, grimacing when I saw myself.

 

_ *It’s you! _

 

Yes, thanks, I know it’s me. Unlike a baby, I’m aware the face in the mirror is my own. I shook my head, mentally apologizing to the voice, before tugging on the ribbon to untie it. I took out the ponytail, shaking my hair loose and combing out the leaves as best as I could before tying it back up. The ribbon I tied around my wrist, a loose silk bracelet to cover where the bandages had been.

 

I inspected my face closely, frowning at the dark circles under my eyes. You’d think that they’d disappear after a while, but chronic insomnia seems to have other ideas. Sleep would be a good idea, and Toriel probably wouldn’t mind, but ingrained anxiety and paranoia forced my feet onwards, to the other doors I passed on my way to the mirror.

 

The door next to the mirror had a little sign on it, written in a strange, glyph-like language. I frowned at it, squinting to try and sharpen the letters. No luck. Instead, that voice spoke again.

 

_ *”Room under renovations.” _

 

I wonder who used to live here? I frowned, biting my lip and swallowing a yawn. “Hey, are you gonna just narrate the whole time I’m here?” I asked the air. No reply. Figures. I sighed, continuing back down the hallway. In the middle door, there was a blue room full of clutter. A diary lay open on the table, but I didn’t give it any more than a glance. I knew the importance of privacy....even if some people didn’t.

 

_ [ “Why won’t you just  _ **_talk_ ** _ to me?! I had to read your journal to know how you’re feeling, Frisk!” ] _

 

I sighed, shaking the memories away and leaving the room. I think it was Toriel’s, and I didn’t feel like getting in trouble for snooping through her stuff. I was going to explore the rest of the house, but my eyelids were starting to droop. I walked into “my” room, blinking at how red everything was.

 

I started poking around, figuring that if this was to be  _ my  _ room, I was allowed to snoop. The voice was strangely silent, leaving me to my own devices. In a little box by the lamp were a bunch of kids shoes, ranging from toddler shoes to shoes bigger than mine. Next to the shoebox, on a bookshelf, was an empty photo frame covered in dust. I frowned, squinting at it. Luckily, it seemed to be normal dust, not the cakey monster dust. I shook my head, heading to a little box at the foot of the bed. I made a face at all the dusty toys, lips twisting slightly.

 

_ *Look at these cool toys! _

 

I blinked. Right, duh. The voice was a little kid, I forgot.

 

_ *......They don’t interest you at all. _

 

“They don’t. But that’s because I haven’t played with toys in years. Not since I was twelve or so.”

 

_ *You’re older than me?! _

 

I grinned. Gotcha. “Yep. I’m sixteen. What, you didn’t notice?” I asked. The voice spluttered, the air next to me shimmering slightly.

 

_ *No fair! _

 

I laughed, sitting on the bed. “Come on, kid, don’t be a brat. Being sixteen ain’t that great, ya know. Puberty sucks, people suck, highschool sucks....” I sighed, glancing at the shimmery bit of air out of the corner of my eye. “I’m Frisk, by the way. What’s your name?” Might as well extend an olive branch.

 

_ *......... _

 

“Come on, I can’t just keep calling you ‘kid’ forever! Gimme something to call you. What, do you not like your name or something?” I asked, tilting my head.

 

_ *I don’t like my name. _

 

“Then make one up! Whatever you wanna be called, just go for it. You think Frisk is my real name? It’s a nickname, but it’s what I go by. Names are just mouth sounds to get your attention,” I said. I lied a little bit. Frisk really is my name, but they didn’t need to know that.

 

_ *.....then, call me Chara. I’m twelve, but I still know more than you about the Underground! _

 

“Alright. Nice to meet you, Chara! Don’t worry, I don’t know anything, so I won’t try to one-up you.” I took out the ponytail, slipping the hair tie onto my wrist. “Also, weird thing, I know, but what do you want me to like, refer to you as?”

 

_ *Huh? _

 

“Like, pronouns. You know, like he, she, they....”

 

_ *Wait, there’s more than just he and she?! Holy shit, I didn’t know that! _

 

I jerked, staring wide-eyed at the shimmery spot. I wasn't upset at the fact they didn’t know, more shocked that they swore. “Y-yeah. Adults like to tell you there’s only boys and girls, but they’re dumb. You can use they when you don’t know what someone goes by, and sometimes people use it when they don’t feel like a girl or a boy. Like me, I use they.”

 

_ *Then, I’m a they! I’m Chara, and I’m a they!! _

 

I laughed, their excitement contagious. “You sure are.” Just as I was about to to lie down, the shimmery air morphed into the image of a kid. They had pale skin and bright red hair, pale red eyes, and freckles everywhere. They wore a green and yellow sweater, one that looked familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. “Chara?” I asked, just to confirm. They nodded, a wide grin on their face. I huffed, smiling. “I’m gonna take a nap. Can you wake me up if Toriel starts looking for me?”

 

_ “I can do that!”  _ they said, glancing at the door.  _ “You might want to be careful though. These walls are thinner than they look, and you’ve been pretty loud,”  _ they warned. I frowned slightly, confused.

 

“What do you mean?” I asked. Chara shook their head, crossing their arms.

 

_ “Toriel......she can’t hear me. Nobody could, until you came along. So she probably thinks you’re just talking to yourself in here. Like, having a full on conversation,”  _ they explained. I nodded, laying down on top of the covers.

 

“Thanks for the warning, then. Goodnight, Chara.” And with that, I fell asleep.

 

\--

 

**MISSING TEEN IN DENVER AREA**

 

**16-year-old Frisk Barrows has been reported missing on May 27th, 20XX. She was last seen at a bus stop in Centennial on May 28th, at 6:30 pm. If you have any information, please notify the Anonymous Tip Hotline.**

 

**Name: Frisk Andrea Barrows**

**Age: 16 years**

**Height: 6 feet, 0 inches**

**Weight: 180 lbs**

 

**Last seen wearing a blue hoodie and a dark purple backpack.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise, this isn't dead. nano's here and i'm ready to **write.**


	5. Ruins (END)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the art contains spoilers for this chapter so it's at the end this time

When I woke up, there was a plate of pie on the ground. I nearly stepped on it, pulling my feet back onto the bed at the last second. I carefully walked around it, turning the lamp back on before inspecting it closer. It was golden and flaky, the very picture of a perfect pie. A delicious cinnamon scent was filling the room, making my mouth water.

 

_ “Mom’s pie....”  _ Chara whispered, the melancholy in their voice almost palpable. I picked up the pie, carefully transferring it to an empty container in my backpack. If monster food could heal, I wanted this with me. Plus, it.....would be nice to have something of Toriel, when I finally leave. I frowned, taking a deep breath and composing myself. There’s no need to get sad. Instead, I just put on a blank face and left the room.

 

I went left from the main hall this time, coming into a living room with a roaring fireplace. Toriel sat next to it, wearing a pair of wire-framed glasses and reading a thick book. I didn’t bother her, instead poking through the bookshelf. I found a history book, thinner than the textbooks at school. I opened it to a random page, beginning to read.

 

_ Trapped behind the barrier and fearful of further human attacks, we retreated. Far, far into the earth we walked, until we reached the cavern’s end. This was our new home, which we named... “Home”. As great as our king is, he is pretty lousy at names. _

 

I snorted quietly, closing the book and putting it back. I scanned the bookshelf again, but none of the other books interested me. I quietly passed Toriel, who hadn’t looked up from her book. I wasn’t sure if she hadn’t noticed me, or if she was just ignoring me. Either way, it was a bit concerning.

 

Through a door at the back of the room, I found a kitchen. The counters were as tall as I was, but standing on my toes I was able to see the tops. One counter had a sink, with white fur stuck in the drain. At least Toriel washes her hands. The next counter had a cutting board on top, and a little cupboard in the front. Inside the cupboard were little cookie cutters, shaped like monsters instead of people. Cool. There was a pie on the next counter, a big chunk cut out of it. I guess this was the pie I had in my backpack, but the rest was way too big for me to even  _ think _ about taking it with me. At the end of the room was just a stove, but I ignored it. It wasn't important.

 

I headed back to the living room, coming up next to Toriel. She still didn’t notice me. I cleared my throat, causing her to smile a little. She didn’t look away from her book. “Up already, I see?” she asked. I nodded. “Um, I want you to know how glad I am to have someone here.” Ouch. Way to make me feel guilty, Toriel. “There are so many old books I want to share. I want to show you my favorite bug-hunting spot. I’ve also prepared a curriculum for your education.” Okay, that’s where I draw the line. Toriel still thinks I’m a child, but I’m not. And the whole “prepared a curriculum” thing reminds me way too much of my mom for comfort. “This may come as a surprise to you...but I have always wanted to be a teacher.” She stopped, looking away. “Actually, perhaps that isn’t very surprising.” She narrowed her eyes. “STILL. I am glad to have you living here. Oh, did you want something?” she asked.

 

I frowned, stuffing my hands in my pockets. Here it is. Moment of truth. The moment I break Toriel’s heart. “When can I leave?” I asked. Blunt, and to the point. She looked at me, eyes wide.

 

“What? This....this is your  _ home  _ now.” I bit the inside of my lip, resisting the urge to glare. Why does she have to make this so much harder than it has to be? Sure, I don’t like my family. But now that I’m here, now that there’s a very real chance I could  _ die.... _ I want to be there. Who else is going to protect Aaron? Definitely not Mom or Dad. Shit, Toriel’s talking. “Um, would you like to hear about this book I am reading? It is called  _ 72 Uses for Snails.  _ How about it?” she asked. I shook my head.

 

“How do I leave?” I asked again, firmer this time. She frowned, closing the book.

 

“I have to do something. Stay here.” Her voice was cold and flat, like Mom’s. I resisted the urge to sigh, clenching my fists in my pockets. She stood up and brushed past me, leaving the room without looking back. I followed behind her, ignoring Chara’s questions. Entering the main room, I saw a flash of white going to the basement. I practically sprinted down the stairs, trying to catch up before she did.....whatever she was going to do.

 

I caught up to her just past the entrance to the basement, almost running into her back. “You wish to know how to leave, correct?” she asked. She still sounded weird. None of that warmth from earlier was present now, leaving her sounding almost.....robotic. “Ahead of us lies the end of the Ruins. A one-way exit to the rest of the Underground.” One-way? I...can’t ever come back? “I am going to destroy it. No one will ever be able to leave again.”

 

What the fuck is this yandere bullshit?! “Hell no! What the fuck?!” I snapped, losing control of myself for a second. She glared at me, cowing me into falling silent again.

 

“Now be a good child, and go upstairs,” she ordered. I shivered, biting back tears. I’m not going to cry. I won’t cry, I  _ won’t.  _ I haven’t cried since I was a little kid, and I’m not about to start now. When she walked away, I took a moment to wipe my eyes, calming myself down.

 

_ “Frisk, are you okay?”  _ Chara asked, worried. I shrugged, tucking my hair behind my ear.  _ “.......Okay. Well, if you want to talk, you know where to find me.”  _ I nodded, continuing on.

 

Once again, Toriel had stopped. It seemed like she was trying to convince herself not to do this. I didn’t care. She wants to keep me here, against my will, never letting me leave. I won’t stand for it. I walked up to her again, stopping when she began to speak. “Every human that falls down here meets the same fate. I have seen it again and again. They come. They leave. They die.” I frowned, but didn’t say anything. “You naive child.....” she said, voice like ice. “If you leave the Ruins.....They..... _ Asgore..... _ will kill you. I am only protecting you, do you understand?” She steeled herself, shoulders straightening. “Go to your room.”

 

_ [“I’m only trying to  _ **_help_ ** _ you, Frisk! It’s for your own safety! Don’t you know what they do to girls like you out there?!”] _

 

“No,” I said softly, shaking my head. Maybe if I shook hard enough, all these memories would fall out like scattered leaves. Toriel was moving again. Like a toy on a string, I followed.

 

“Do not try to stop me. This is your final warning,” she said, before continuing down the hallway. I growled, glaring at her back. Don’t tell me what to do. I followed, turning the corner and stopping when I got to a wider room. Toriel stood facing a massive door, arms crossed. “You want to leave so badly?” She scoffed, shoulders tensing. “You are just like the others. There is only one solution to this.” I tensed, not liking the sound of that. My fears were confirmed when she spoke again. “Prove yourself.” She turned around, eyes flashing with an inner fire. “Prove to me you are strong enough to survive.”

 

The atmosphere got more oppressive, just like the other fights I’d been in. She glared at me, sparks dancing around her paws. I didn’t want to fight her. I just wanted to leave. “Toriel....” I started, before trailing off. I couldn’t think of anything to say.

 

The sparks solidified into fireballs, dancing around me. I froze, staying still and letting the flames pass me, coming close enough to singe my arms. I pushed up my sleeves, shaking slightly. I didn’t want to fight her, not when she hasn’t hurt me. Yeah, she’s trying to stop me from leaving. That doesn’t mean I want to hurt her.

 

More sparks danced around her paws, the light dying down again. “Toriel, please!” I tried, but couldn’t think of any way to continue it. This time she caught me off guard, hitting me with a line of fireballs. They barely stung, but it was more the thought that counted. I grit my teeth, glaring up at her. She seemed to look right through me, looking at me but not  _ looking. _

 

_ [“Frisk, just....go away, alright? I’m tired.”] _

 

I tightened my fists, deciding to give her one more chance. “Toriel!” I snapped. Chara scoffed from behind me, seemingly fed up with me.

 

_ “Ironically, talking does not seem to be the solution to this situation,”  _ they said drily. I scowled, glaring at Toriel. She didn’t say anything, just looking past me.

 

“Alright, fine. If it’s a fight you want......it’s a fight you’re gonna get.” I pulled my hair up again, tying the ribbon tightly around it. I slid the knife out of my pocket, gripping it tightly. She shot more snaking fireballs at me, ones I only just barely managed to dodge. It was like dancing. Once I found a rhythm, it was easy.

 

I darted forward, swiping the knife at her. I caught her in the midsection, barely ruffling her dress. She winced, jerking back from me. I jumped back again, this time managing to dodge nearly all the fireballs. Another swipe. Another attack.

 

Again. Again. Again. I popped a monster candy and felt my burns heal. Another attack. Dodge. Swipe. Again. Dodge. Swipe. Again.

 

We repeated this dance for ages, until Toriel looked more like a dusty toy than the regal monster she had been. I stood, dust-covered and panting, watching her tear up. I put the knife away, opening my arms. “I don’t want to fight you, Toriel.” I stepped forward, arms still wide open. This was going to hurt.

 

She didn’t say anything. Just kept looking through me. A fireball hit my shoulder, but I barely flinched. I kept my arms open. She looked annoyed now, shaking slightly.  _ “Frisk, what are you doing?”  _ Chara asked. I shook my head, not taking my eyes off Toriel.

 

“I’ll explain later...” I muttered. Toriel looked confused, but her mask quickly slammed back into place. Her attacks seemed weaker now.

 

I ate another candy, but didn’t attack. Finally, she spoke. “What are you doing?” I didn’t answer. Just kept my arms open, taking the attacks. She was hurting me, but.....for some reason, I didn’t mind. It’s like I knew, somehow, that she wouldn’t kill me. She just wanted to test me. “Attack or run away!” she snapped. She looks panicked.

 

“I’m not running away, Toriel. And I won’t attack you, not again. I’m strong enough, I swear,” I said softly. She took a deep breath, tears glistening in her eyes. Her hands shook as she prepared another attack. One of the fireballs hit me, but it hurt even less than before this time. 

 

“What are you proving this way?!” she snapped. I laughed, breathless and hurting. What  _ am  _ I proving this way?

 

_ [“Ah, very good! You are very good.”] _

 

I smiled, laughing through my tears. “I’m good, right? I’m a good child. I’m just trying to survive, but....I don’t want to hurt you. I’m proving that I can control myself! I’m good!” I insisted, wiping my tears away on burned hands. She jerked back, eyes wide.

 

“F-Fight me or leave!” she yelled, squeezing her eyes shut. I shook my head, accepting the attack. None of it hit me, thankfully. I’m not sure how much more of this I can take. Toriel regained her composure and looked away from me. “Stop it,” she said dully. The fire snaked around me, not even coming close. “Stop looking at me that way.”

 

I grit my teeth as another fireball hit me. Standing here, taking the abuse....it went against everything I’d ever promised myself. And yet, for Toriel.....I’d do it. No matter what she threw at me, I’d take it. Because she  _ loves  _ me.

 

“GO AWAY!” she yelled. This time, when I got hit with one of her attacks, she jerked away instantly. I stepped forward, hands empty and loose. The fire only rained around me, barely warmer than my phone when it was left on the charger too long. It’s like her heart wasn't even in it anymore. She looked away, eyes glassy.

 

“Toriel...” I whispered, reaching out for her. She turned away, scrubbing at her eyes with one massive paw.

 

“I know you want to go home, but...” I stepped forward again. “But please.....go upstairs now.” I shook my head, coming closer. “I promise I will take good care of you here.” Toriel......you already have. I didn’t know how to say that, the words getting stuck in my throat. “I know we do not have much, but......we can have a good life here!” I felt like she was trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince me. “Why are you making this so difficult?”

 

“Because you’re the first person who’s tried to make things good for me,” I said softly. She startled, head snapping up. Finally. She whimpered, covering her face.

 

“Please go upstairs....” I shook my head. She chuckled softly, a small smile on her face. “Pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even a single child.” I sighed, walking even closer.

 

“Toriel, you already have.” She blinked, looking down at me. “You saved me. When I first fell, Flowey was about to kill me. You saved me. On my own, I would’ve fought tooth and nail to get out. You showed me someone cared, and gave me something to work towards. Without wanting to make you proud......” I sighed, looking away. “I.....well.” I shook my head, looking back up at her. “The point is, you  _ did _ save me. I promise. And even though I’m leaving, I’m doing it to protect my younger brother. I’m doing it because you taught me the value of love.....of  _ forgiveness.  _ So.....thank you, Toriel.”

 

She was silent after my speech, looking away again. We sat in silence for a minute, before she sagged like someone had cut her strings. “No, I understand,” she said softly. “My expectations, my loneliness, my fears.......for you, my child, I will put them aside.” Finally, the atmosphere relaxed again. “If you truly wish to leave the Ruins......I will not stop you. However, when you leave.....please do not come back. I hope you understand.”

 

I did. Before I could second guess myself, I wrapped my arms around her waist. She stiffened slightly, before wrapping her arms around me in a strong hug. I sniffled, burying my face in her dress. “I’ll miss you, Toriel....” I whispered. She kissed the top of my head, pulling back slightly. 

 

“Goodbye, my child...”

 

\--

 

Even after Toriel left, I stared at the door. So much pain went into this, and for what? Nothing. It doesn’t matter. I shook my head, pushing open the heavy stone doors and slipping through.

 

The doors opened into a long hallway, even longer than the room with the pillars. I walked in silence, brooding silently. Chara didn’t speak, something I was grateful for. I don’t know if I could’ve handled it right then.

 

By time the floor changed to a light purple, however, they were tired of the silence.  _ “Okay Frisk, I’ve left it alone long enough. What was that back there, with Toriel?”  _ they asked. I shrugged slightly, leaning against the wall gingerly. I pulled a candy out of my pocket, chewing quickly and waiting for the burns to fade.  _ “Frisk, you can’t avoid me forever. I’ll just keep asking until you tell me.” _

 

They had a point. I sighed, biting the inside of my cheek and continuing to walk. “I.....I thought that if I gave her what she wanted, she’d let me go,” I whispered. “She wanted me to talk, so I talked. Nothing happened. She wanted me to fight, so I fought. Nothing happened. So, I needed a new plan.” I sighed, pulling a water bottle out of my backpack and taking a drink. “When I was younger, I swore that I wouldn’t be hurt again. No matter what, I’d be strong enough to handle it. But when my parents started fostering my brother, I had to adapt.”

 

_ “You have a brother?”  _ Chara asked, materializing out of thin air. I nodded, smiling slightly.

 

“Yeah. He’s weird, but he’s not that bad. They started fostering him when I was thirteen, because he didn’t really have anywhere to go. He’d just gotten out of the hospital, and since my mom’s a psychiatrist, the court thought that it’d be a good place for him,” I explained. I didn’t really want to get into the rest of the situation, but I owed Chara an answer.

 

_ “Court? Did he do something?”  _ they asked. I shrugged, tilting my head.

 

“He did, but they wouldn’t tell me what. Anyway, the point is, I had to protect him. He never really liked it, always cussing me out whenever I tried. So I stopped caring. I swore to myself I wouldn’t let anyone hurt me again.” I looked away from Chara, rubbing my eyes.

 

_ “.......and then you had to, in order to save Toriel,”  _ they murmured. I nodded, smiling bitterly.

 

“Right in one. You’re a smart kid, Chara.” I shook my head, rubbing my arms. “It doesn’t matter. She’s still alive, and that’s the important part. Now, come on. We still got a long way to go to get back to Aaron.”

 

\--

 

At the end of the hallway, there was a flower. A familiar flower. I scowled, glaring at him. “Flowey,” I snarled, crossing my arms. He smiled wider, eyes sparkling.

 

“Clever. Very clever,” he said, bobbing in place. “You think you’re  _ really  _ smart, don’t you?” I scoffed, tossing my hair back.

 

“Smarter than a buttercup, that’s for damn sure,” I snarked. He growled at me, narrowing his eyes. He looked at my dust-caked sweater, smirking slightly.

 

“In this world, it’s kill or be killed. You were well on your way to learning that lesson, but what did you do?” He giggled, eyes widening. “You decided to play by your  _ own  _ rules!” His face looked like it was melting, beady black eyes growing until they looked like dark holes, swallowing only the barest pinprick of light. “You saved the life of a  _ single  _ person......” He giggled again, melting smile growing wider. “Froggit. Whimsum. Vegetoid. Loox. Migosp. Moldsmal. Think about those names.”

 

“They don’t sound familiar. What, are they the frogs, the butterflies, and the weird cyclops thing?” I asked, furrowing my brow. He glared at me, stem straightening.

 

“Shut up. Haven’t you considered that those monsters might have families? They might have friends?” His face shifted into a horrifying rendition of Toriel’s kind smile. I stumbled back, landing on my ass in a patch of grass. He towered over me now, still looking down at me with that face. “Each one could’ve been someone else’s Toriel!” Oh god, even his  _ voice  _ sounds like hers now. He leaned forward, getting up in my face. I scrambled back, scraping my palms on the rough stone. “Selfish  _ brat.  _ Somebody is  _ dead  _ because of you.” He broke out into echoing, cackling laughter, zooming back and disappearing into the ground.

 

I stared at the grass where he’d been in horror, blood rushing in my ears. I should feel bad about this. I should be feeling guilty, horrified,  _ something!  _

 

Instead, all I felt was fear. Fear, that he read me so easily. He was right. I really am a selfish brat. I only cared about my own survival, my own happiness. I grouped all those monsters together, judging whole species based on the actions of one member.

 

I really am a horrible person.

 

It took me ages to get back up again. I say ages, but really, it was more like five minutes. I don’t want to think about what that means. Instead, I put on my best blank face and checked my hands for blood. Nothing but dust.

 

Come on, Frisk. It’s time to go. You need to continue on. Get up, dust it off, it’s fine. No bleeding, no bruises, no broken bones. No problem.

 

I walked through the door.

 

Nothing but white.

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gonna be totally honest flowey's lines at the end are ripped nearly verbatim from the game. blindsided me as much as frisk lemme tell ya
> 
> as always, art is by me


	6. Chapter 6: Snowdin (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to be fair, the fact that the whole "art every chapter" thing lasted as long as it did was a miracle in and of itself

The first thing I saw after my eyes adjusted were trees. I don’t know how they managed to grow down here, but somehow it happened. The next thing I noticed was the snow, shoved to the side in a packed path through the woods. With nothing better to do (and wanting to get out of the cold), I started walking.

 

The wind blew through my thin hoodie, bitingly cold. It was nothing compared to winters at home though, so I pushed on. The path was small, snow piled up on each side but longer than I could see. Walking through the trees, I felt like someone was watching me. I shivered, walking a bit faster.

 

A little ways ahead, I stepped over a thick branch. A bit further, and a loud, echoing  _ KKH!  _ broke the silence like a gunshot. Spooked, I ran back to the branch. Sure enough, it was crushed into dust.

 

_ “I don’t want to see what broke that.....”  _ Chara muttered. I nodded in agreement, scrambling to my feet. Whatever it was, it was big. Really big. I kept walking, glancing behind me every so often. I spotted a shadow out of the corner of my eye, vaguely human shaped. I broke into a run.

 

“Nope nope nope nope nope—” I muttered, eyes wild and focused on the gate I could see just in front of me. Freedom was so close I could taste it. Just when I reached it though, I froze. Footsteps crept up behind me, snow crunching under their feet.

 

“ **Human,** ” a low voice rumbled. My shoulders stiffened. “ **Don’t you know how to greet a new pal?** ” I whimpered quietly, trembling. Even Chara was silent, hiding from this new threat. “ **Turn around, and shake my hand.** ” I slowly turned, facing the shadow. They seemed human-shaped, but bulky. About my height, which didn’t make me feel any more comfortable. With trembling arms, I reached out, and took the shadow’s hand.

 

_ Pbbbbfffttttttttt....... _

 

I blinked. “What,” I said flatly. The shadow chuckled, the air around us lightening. A grinning skeleton came into view. I frowned, rubbing my eyes. Was......was it wearing a hoodie? And slippers??? Baffled, I let it speak.

 

“Heh....the old whoopee-cushion-in-the-hand trick. It’s  _ always  _ funny,” the skeleton chuckled. “Anyways, you’re a human, right?” it asked. I nodded slowly, still too shocked to speak. “That’s hilarious.” Not really, when everything’s trying to kill you. “I’m Sans. Sans the Skeleton.” I’ve noticed. 

 

“I’m actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now, but...y’know......I don’t really care about capturing anybody.” Well that’s a relief. Means this guy’s alright. “Now my brother, Papyrus.......he’s a human-hunting FANATIC.” Welp. “Hey, actually, I think that’s him over there.” Suddenly, Sans’ grin grew wider. The lights in their eyes got just a bit brighter, like they knew something I didn’t. “Hey, I have an idea. Go through this gate thingy.” I glanced behind me, questioningly. They nodded. “Yeah, go right through. My bro made the bars too wide to stop anyone.” They herded me through the bars before I could protest. That’s okay though. Even if their brother is a “human hunting fanatic”, the fact that this gate can’t even block a road means that I probably have nothing to worry about. Either he’s incompetent and dangerous, or he’s just incompetent. We’ll see which is which. “Quick, behind that conveniently shaped lamp!” Sans grinned, giving me a little push. I glared at them, but complied.

 

What happened next shocked me. A tall skeleton, about Toriel’s height, came running out from the forest. It was wearing a red scarf and some sort of armor? Weird. “Sup, bro?” Sans said. Oh. This must be Papyrus.   
  
“You know what’s ‘sup’, brother!” Papyrus snapped. Oh my god this is amazing. He sounds like Skeletor. What the fuck. Also, Sans is apparently a boy. Good to know. “It’s been eight days, and you still haven't RECALIBRATED. YOUR. PUZZLES!!” I winced slightly. No need to shout, dude. “You just hang around outside your station! What are you even doing?!”

 

Sans glanced at me, eyes twinkling. “Staring at this lamp. It’s really cool. Do you wanna look?” Papyrus looked incensed. Well, as angry as a perpetually-smiling skeleton can look, anyway. He made up for it by stamping his foot on the ground. It’s almost comical, really.

 

“No!! I don’t have time for that!! What if a human comes through here?!” Surprise, one’s already here. “I want to be ready!! I  _ will  _ be the one! I  _ must  _ be the one!” The one to......what? Frowning, I listened closer. “I will capture a human!” Oh. “Then I, The Great Papyrus....” Wow, I  _ heard  _ the capitals there. “.......will get all the things I utterly deserve! Respect......Recognition.....I will finally be able to join the Royal Guard!” Oh yeah, that’s right. The book at Toriel’s said something about a King. Every king needs a guard, I guess. “People will ask to be my......‘friend’?” Oh no. Papyrus is just lonely oh no. I can’t fight him. I can’t do that to him. “I will bathe in a shower of kisses every morning!”

 

“Hmm......” Sans murmured, expression softer. He really loves his brother, huh? But then again, I wonder how many times he’s heard this same speech. “Maybe this lamp will help you,” he suggested. Yes. I’ll do whatever it takes Papyrus. I’ll protect you I swear.

 

“SANS!!! You are NOT HELPING, you lazybones!” Papyrus screeched, stomping his foot on the ground again. “All you do is sit and boondoggle!” What the fuck is a “boondoggle”. “You get lazier and lazier every day!” I flinched, trying hard to keep myself still. Sans flinched too, but I think that I’m the only one that noticed.

 

“Hey, take it easy. I’ve gotten a  **ton** of work done today.” Papyrus froze, whispering something that sounded like “please no”. Sans grinned, eyesockets narrowing somehow. “A  **skele-ton.** ” I bit my lip, barely keeping myself from laughing. Oh that was bad.

 

“Sans!” Papyrus whined. Sans chuckled, crossing his arms.

 

“Come on, you’re smiling,” he said, tilting his head slightly. Papyrus glanced away, eyesockets narrowed.

 

“I am and I hate it.....” he grumbled. “Sigh.....” He....actually said the word sigh. This dweeb. “Why does someone as great as me......have to do so much just to get some recognition......”

 

Sans’ eyes lit up again. I smiled, sensing what was coming. “Wow. Sounds like you’re really working yourself........” Papyrus’ eyes widened. I think he sensed it too. “.......down to the  **bone.** ” Papyrus screeched again, like a dying Windows 95 PC.

 

“I will attend to my puzzles.....” he ground out. “As for your work? Put a little more,  _ backbone,  _ into it!” He started laughing. This is great. All my dreams are alive. With that, he walked off. I barely nosed out from behind the lamp when he popped back in with one final “HEH!” Finally, he left for good.

 

“Okay, you can come out now,” Sans said. I tumbled out from behind the lamp, cackling quietly. Chara patted me on the head, rolling their eyes. Finally, I stood up and made my way over to Sans. “You oughta get going. He might come back. And if he does.....you’ll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes,” he warned.

 

“I really wouldn’t mind that,” I said, but listened anyway. With a wave, I headed off in the direction Papyrus had come from.

 

“Actually, hey.......hate to bother ya, but can you do me a favor?” I stopped, turning to face Sans. “I was thinking.......my brother’s been kind of down lately......he’s never seen a human before. And seeing you? Might just make his day. Don’t worry, he’s not dangerous. Even if he tries to be.” I get it. He’s about as dangerous as a feather pillow. I nodded in agreement, and Sans’ smile got just a little bit warmer. “Thanks a million. I’ll be up ahead.” He walked off to the left. But wasn't he going up ahead?

 

Whatever. I don’t have the brain power to understand that right now. Instead, I walked into another clearing. This one had two paths, a box, and a sign. I swear I could spot a yellow twinkle out of the corner of my eye, but it seemed to be a trick of the light. When I went to investigate, though, that warm feeling shot through me again.

 

_ *The convenience of that lamp still fills you with determination. _

 

I guess it does. Huh. Thanks Chara. I started down the left path, only to come face to face with...........an owl?

 

_ *Snowdrake blocks your path! _

 

Very helpful, Chara. I tried to walk away, but it wouldn’t let me. “M-Macaroni and freeze.....” it mumbled. Wait. Was that a fucking ice pun?

 

I didn’t have a chance to ponder, because it sent little icy discs at me. I slipped under one of the arcs, coming up without a scratch. “Was that a pun? I love it!” I laughed. Snowdrake’s eyes lit up, and it seemed to be smiling.

 

“See? Laughs! Dad was wrong!” it chortled. I froze. Too distracted by that statement and its implications, I didn’t see the disc coming up on the right. It hit me in the side, barely enough to bruise. I winced, shaking it off. Snowdrake didn’t mean it. It was my own fault for getting distracted. So instead of fighting, I waved at it. It waved back, dropping more coins and walking off. I nodded, scooping them up. Looks like no matter what, I’ll get money. That’s fine. Money’s great.

 

_ *You got 12 gold! _

 

I continued down the path, coming upon a river with a fishing pole. Curious, I reeled the line in. On the end was a soggy photo of an odd-looking monster. On the back, it said “Call me! Here’s my number!” I decided not to call. I did, however, send the line back out. Whoever that monster was, I didn’t want them mad because their photo......fishing.....bait thing didn’t work.

 

I headed back down the path, instead looking at the sign next to the box. It had more weird glyphs on it, which Chara helpfully translated. They phased into view next to me, peering over my arm to see the sign.  _ “This is a box. You can put an item inside, or take an item out. The same box will appear later, so don’t worry about coming back. Sincerely, a box lover.”  _ Huh. Neat.

 

“Thanks, Chara. I don’t know why I can’t read that, I read the signs in the Ruins just fine....” I said. “Guess I can’t read whatever the monster language is.” They looked at me strangely.

 

_ “Frisk, it’s written in English,”  _ they deadpanned. I blinked. English? Then why.........oh. Wait.

 

“I......oh. I just remembered that I’m not wearing my glasses. They’re not glyphs, I’m just blind......” I mumbled. Chara giggled next to me, grinning widely.

 

_ “Then, don’t worry! I’ll be your eyes!”  _ they cheered. I nodded, opening the box. Inside was a single pink glove. I took it out, inspecting it carefully. Too carefully, I suppose, because Chara went back to Narrator Mode and started reading off stats.

 

_ *”Tough Glove” — Weapon AT 5. A worn, pink leather glove. For five-fingered folk. _

 

Attack 5, huh? The knife I’m using....I think that one’s Attack 3. And even if I never use this glove, it’ll still keep my hand warm. I shut the box, pulling the glove on. Perfect fit. I headed off down the path again, happening on the skelebros again.

 

“So, as I was saying about Undyne....” I stopped, tilting my head. Who’s Undyne? I didn’t get to find out, because it was just then that Papyrus noticed me. He looked at Sans. Sans looked at him. He looked at Sans. They looked at me. This went on for a while. Finally, they turned away. “Sans! Oh my god!! Is that....a human?!?!?!” Papyrus asked, obviously trying to whisper (and failing miserably). I crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow.

 

They turned back to look at me. “Uhhhh.....actually, I think that’s a rock,” Sans said. I blinked, before looking behind me. A rock. A literal rock. This one didn’t look like the talking kind. It was blue, for one. The talking ones were grey. I turned back to look at them. Papyrus looked really upset now, frowning as much as his skull would allow (which wasn't much). Sans noticed this, and in an attempt to cheer Papyrus up, spoke again. “Hey, what’s that in front of the rock?”

 

Papyrus looked at me again, this time  _ at  _ me and not  _ over my head _ like last time. “Oh my god!!!” he shouted, eyes lighting up. Then, he stopped, leaning down to whisper something at Sans. Sans nodded, and Papyrus straightened up again. “Sans! I finally did it! Undyne will......” Undyne again. Just who  _ is  _ Undyne? “I’m gonna....I’ll be so......” Sans patted his arm bone gently. “Popular! Popular!  _ Popular!”  _ he cheered, doing a tiny little dance in the snow. Then, he realized he was dancing.

 

He cleared his throat, trying to look dignified and unruffled. It worked......barely. “Human! You shall not pass this area! I, The Great Papyrus, will stop you! I will then capture you! You will be delivered to the Capital! Then......Then! I’m not sure what’s next.” I am. Death, or escape. One of the two. “In any case! Continue.....only if you dare!” Oh, I dare alright. Papyrus started cackling before running off again, leaving me behind with Sans and the Absolutely Normal Rock.

 

“Well, that went well,” Sans said. I chuckled, crossing my arms tightly.

 

“He didn’t try and kill me on sight. That’s a point in my book,” I said softly. Sans looked at me oddly for a second, before shaking his head. 

 

“Don’t sweat it, kid. I’ll keep an eyesocket out for ya.” With that, he walked off. I frowned, rubbing my arms gently. He said he’d watch out for me, but......then again, so did Toriel. And she did, tried to protect me and save me from the outside, but.....I don’t know. I’ll have to keep an eye on Sans. He seems like more than what he shows.

 

I sighed, walking after Papyrus. There was a cardboard box on the side of the road, but before I could examine it, a weird little snowman with an ice hat strutted out from between the trees. “Oh no....” I groaned, feeling the atmosphere get heavy again. I looked around for a way out, completely ignoring the snowman dude.

 

_ *You manage to tear your eyes away from Ice Cap’s hat. It looks annoyed..... _

 

Oh. Lovely.  _ “Hello?!  _ My hat’s up here?!” the Ice Cap snarled. A deep rumbling shook the ground I was standing on, snow falling away. Three pipes burst up from nothing, shooting icicles at me. One clipped my shoulder. I yelped, jumping away from the pipes. They vanished, like nothing ever happened. I glared at it, rubbing my shoulder. What an ass.

 

I really hate people like this. Entitled, spoiled, acting like they’re God’s gift to the world. When really all they are is a juiced up fuckboy with a narcissistic streak a mile wide. I’d be doing this world a favor if I got rid of it......right? I clenched my fist, swinging at the Ice Cap. Three quick jabs later, and I was pushed back by a wave of magic. The wave stung where it hit, but barely worse than a light poke.

 

“Where’s  _ your  _ hat?” Ice Cap demanded. I rolled my eyes. Gross.

 

_ *Ice Cap is secretly checking if you’re looking at its hat. _

 

I didn’t even dignify that with a response. Instead, I took another swing. Took five hits, but Ice Cap crumbled on the fifth. Its dust mixed with the ice and snow, blowing away in the wind. One less asshole for the world to worry about.

 

_ *You earned 17 EXP and 17 gold. _

 

I wiped the dust off on my sweater. Deep breaths, Frisk. You’ll be okay.


End file.
